Trip Description: Camping overnight out on the barrier island behind the POC jetties. This is a tough-it-out full bore outdoor experience where you might just catch anything.

How to sign up:Sign Up Here, on the sign up sheet distributed at the monthly meeting or e-mail the trip leader.How to get waiver forms:Download PDF form here. Required Waiver of Liability, filled out and signed, along with emergency contact information.

Cost: No required cost, but you are strongly encouraged to help defray fuel costs to those ferrying us out to the jettiesDirections: Drive to Port O'Connor, Texas we'll be ferrying from Clark's Marina

About the area: Sand covered island surrounds just inside the POC jetty. Great place to raise tents right next to the shoreline. Chance to catch everything from Snook to tarpon. Bring your heavier equipment.

IMPORTANT NOTE: DO NOT COUNT ON CONTINUOUS BOAT SERVICE TO/FROM THE ISLAND OR FOR FISHING, UNLESS YOU BRING OR ARRANGE YOUR OWN!

Recommended guidelines for participants:• Notify the trip leader if you have any potential concerns• If inexperienced, then buddy up.• Have proper safety equipment• If you are boating or kayaking, inform the trip leader of your float plan if planning to fish alone or longer then the designated times.• Sign in and sign out at the launch site. Inform the trip leader if you will be launching in a different place.

I'm planning to make the trip, but commitments at home prevent me from arriving until saturday morning. Looks like I'll miss the Firday night mosquito fest, but I'll be there as early as I can on Saturday morning.

I have put out a blast to many of our Saltier members and hoping to kick start this outing. Heard from Sam Lee and Gary Evans. I think Gary is good to go and Sam is pondering the idea of big fish "all night long". Sam told me John C. sold his Maverick...well there goes one of the fleet! Unbelievable...guess John's days fly fishing will be few and far between now. Too bad he was so much fun to fish with. But I'm betting he'll be fishing with some of his guide buddies. Can't keep a good man down I always say.

WELL AS USUAL, POC IS EVERYTHING YOU SHOULD GROW TO EXPECT! FRIENDLY PEOPLE DOING EVERYTHING THEY COULD FOR THE WOUNDED WARRIORS TO MAKE THEIR LIVES JUST A LITTLE BIT BETTER EVEN IF ONLY FOR THE DAY. OVER FIVE HUNDRED BOATS WERE REPORTED ON THE WATER EACH WITH AT LEAST ONE AND MOST TWO WARRIORS FOR A DAY OF FISHING! MY HAT IS OFF TO THE GUIDES AND FOLKS WHO ASSISTED WITH THIS HUGE ENDEAVOR.

SO KNOWING THERE WERE GOING TO BE THIS MANY BOATS ON THE WATER SATURDAY THE GUYS WHO CAME IN FOR OUR OUTING WERE UP AND AT THE RAMP SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE THE LAUNCHING OF THE WARRIORS. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE NOT SO GREAT, LOTS OF CLOUDS, STEADY BREEZE AT FIFTEEN TO TWENTY FIVE BUT WE WERE GASSED UP AND READY TO GO. ATTENDEES SATURDAY MORNING WERE GEORGE G. AND I IN GEORGE'S SKIFF, MIKE Q. AND JOHN P. IN JOHN'S SKIFF AND ALAN K. AND HIS BROTHER STEVEN AND A FRIEND IN ALAN'S SKIFF. ALAN FISHED THE SOUTH PASS AREA AND PUT IN AT CHARLIES DOWN BY SEADRIFT WE MET UP WITH THEM LATER IN THE DAY AT DINNER. AS WE FOUND OUT LATER THEY MET UP WITH SOME OTHER FISHERS AND HAD A GOOD DAY TOO.

WE HEADED ACROSS THE BAY TO GET TO THE PROTECTED SHORE LINES VIA THE INNER LAKES. WE FISHED BIG POCKET, LIGHTHOUSE FLATS, VANDIVEIRE AND PRINGLE LAKE. WE HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE SUN BEING BEHIND THE CLOUDS ALL MORNING BUT AROUND 11"30 AM THE SUN STARTED TO SHOW THROUGH. GEORGE AND I WADED THE LIGHTHOUSE SHORE LINE AND FOUND A FEW FISH UP TIGHT TO THE SHORE. WHEN THE SUN BROKE THROUGH THE CLOUDS YOU COULD REALLY SEE WELL EVEN THROUGH THE WIND BLOWN SURFACE WAVES. EARLY IN THE DAY EVERY FISH I THREW TO BOLTED AS THEY WERE SO CLOSE BEFORE I COULD GET MY EYES ON THEM DUE TO THE LACK OF VISIBILITY. HOWEVER, LATER ON I WAS SEEING THEM JUST FINE AND PUT FOUR TO HAND IN LESS THAN AN HOUR.

WE, AT THAT POINT DECIDED TO HEAD BACK INTO PRINGLE FOR A LOOK BACK THERE. HOWEVER THE WIND WASN'T BEING SO NICE BY NOW BLOWING A STEADY 20 MPH. ONCE THERE GEORGE HEADED ONE DIRECTION, AND I THE OTHER. AS FOR NOW THE SUN WAS DIRECTLY OVERHEAD AND VISIBILITY WAS GREAT IN ANY DIRECTION YOU CHOOSE. FIRST RED I SAW SMACKED MY FLY AND BROKE A BRAND NEW FLORO, 10 LB TAPERED LEADER. IT WAS A NICE SIZE FISH! SO I QUICKLY TIED UP A 15 LB FLORO TIPPET MAKING MY LEADER ABOUT 10' LONG AND I CHANGED TO A "GOLDEN" SPOONFLY IN ANTICIPATION OF MORE BIG REDS. BUT I WADED A GOOD 1/4 MILE NOT SEEING A FISH. SO I WENT INTO SHORE AND WALKED OVERLAND TOWARDS SANDY COVE (CHECK YOUR MAPS) ONCE THERE I WALKED INTO THE WATER AND THE FIRST STEP I TOOK A BIG RED BOLTED OUT OF A SMALL GRASS COVERED DEPRESSION NOT TWO FEET IN FRONT OF ME. MAN IF I WOULD HAVE JUST LOOKED. AS I WALKED OUT I HAD THE CHOICE OF FISHING THE SHORELINE (NORMALLY THIS IS WHAT I PICK AT THIS LOCATION) OR GOING OUT A LITTLE WAYS AND FISHING WATER GENERALLY 2 TO 3 FOOT DEEP. BECAUSE OF THE GREAT VISIBILITY I PICKED THE DEEPER WATER AS I HAD JUST COVERED A SHALLOW SHORELINE WITH OUT SEEING BUT ONE FISH.

AS I HAD ONLY WADED MAYBE SIXTY FEET AT MOST BUT OFF IN THE DISTANCE I SEE A WOLFPACK OF AT LEAST SIX LARGE FISH COMING STRAIGHT AT ME IN A HURRY AND BELIEVE ME FOLKS THEY WEREN'T MULLET! I COULD SEE THEY WERE CASTING SOME PRETTY BIG SHADOWS AND HAD A GIRTHY PROFILE SO I'M THINKING BIG REDFISH BUT THEY WERE MOVING PRETTY FAST FOR REDS. I HAVE ON A SPOONFLY WHICH WAS PERFECT IF IT WAS REDS. HAVING MY FLY IN MY HAND AND ONLY ABOUT 20' OF LINE FOLLOWING ME I IMMEDIATELY STRIPPED OFF ABOUT ANOTHER 20' OF LINE AND THREW OUT THE FULL LENGTH OF LINE ABOUT 20 FEET AHEAD OF THE FISH JUST OFF TO THEIR RIGHT SIDE AND I BEGAN TO STRIP IN THE LINE FAST. I SAW WHAT APPEARED TO ME TO BE A RED FLASH IN THE DIRECTION OF MY FLY AND OFF WENT MY FLY LINE IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AT EVEN A FASTER PACE. FISH ON! THE OTHER FISH STOPPED AND SEEMED TO MILL AROUND WHILE MY FISH WAS RAPIDLY DUMPING MY FLY LINE AND GETTING INTO THE BACKING. NICE RED I'M THINKING. THE FISH WAS PROBABLY ABOUT 120 FEET FROM ME WHEN IT STOPPED AND SURFACED TO START SHAKING ITS HEAD BACK IN FORTH THROWING WATER IN EVERY DIRECTION. THIS WAS NO REDFISH THIS WAS A BIG TROUT!!!.

OK SO NOW MY HEART RATE DOUBLES AND I'M THINKING LET'S NOT LOOSE THIS FISH. GEORGE IS OVER A MILE AWAY FROM ME AT THIS POINT AND I WILL GET NO PICTURES UNLESS I LAND THIS BIG "GIRL". WHAT A FIGHT HAVING HER THAT FAR AWAY FROM ME MEANT I WAS PUTTING VERY LITTLE PRESSURE ON THE LINE BUT WHAT ABOUT THAT NEW KNOT AND TIPPET I JUST TIED UP. WAS THAT GOING TO HOLD TOGETHER, WAS THE ORIGINAL LEADER DEFECTIVE BECAUSE IT BROKE ONCE BEFORE? THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT RAPIDLY WHIZ THROUGH YOUR MIND WHEN YOU SHOULD BE ONLY THINKING OF CONTROLLING YOUR FISH. THE FISH WAS NOW SOUNDING AGAIN AND HEADING DEAD RIGHT TOWARDS THE SHORELINE WHERE THERE ARE PLENTY OF OYSTER SHELL TO BREAK OFF ON. NOW WAS TIME TO PUT THAT FISH ON THE STICK! SO LOWERING THE ROD TIP AND ARCHING THE BUTT SECTION OVER TO MY LEFT SIDE I APPLIED THE BREAKS QUICKLY CHANGING HER DIRECTION. NOW HEADING LEFT AND INTO DEEPER WATER I WAS ABLE TO RELAX AND ENJOY THE FIGHT. SHE STOPPED AGAIN TO SHAKE HER HEAD BUT I BURIED THE ROD TIP UNDER WATER PULLING HER DEEP AND GETTING HER BACK UNDER THE WATER. ANOTHER FEW MINUTES I HAD HER COMING TO HAND. AS SHE GOT CLOSE I COULD SEE SHE WAS A GOOD FISH BUT NOT AS BIG AS I HOPED. SHE WAS THICK THOUGH. SHE TAPED OUT AT 22 1/2" BUT APPEARED TO WEIGH AT LEAST SIX POUNDS. NICE FISH AND DAMN WELL WORTH THE LONG WADE. I COULD NOT BELIEVE SHE HIT THAT SPOONFLY THOUGH. NOT NORMAL FOR A TROUT. I FIGURED SHE WAS IN FULL COMPETITION MODE WITH THE REST OF THE PACK AND SHE WAS DETERMINED TO EAT FIRST. SO I STRUNG HER UP CAREFULLY TO SHOW GEORGE LATER. BUT NOW MY ATTENTION WAS TURNED BACK TO SEE IF HER BUDDIES WERE STILL IN THE NEIGHBOR HOOD. I CONTINUED MY WADE BUT BACK IN THE DIRECTION OF THE BOAT. REALIZING I WASN'T SEEING ANYMORE FISH AND I HAD BEEN OFF FOR ABOUT AN HOUR OR SO I WANTED TO GET BACK TO THE BOAT AND GO SEE HOW GEORGE WAS DOING. SO I PEGGED THE FISH INTO THE MARSH GRASS AND TOOK OFF BACK TO DRY LAND TO WALK BACK TO THE BOAT.

I PICKED UP GEORGES BOAT AS HE WAS NOWHERE IN SIGHT AND TOOK OFF SOUTH AROUND A POINT AND FOUND HIM IN THE ROCKPILE COVE. ONCE BACK IN THE BOAT HE SAID HE JUST WASN'T SEEING MUCH AND I AGREED WITH HIM NEITHER HAD I. BUT I LOOKED DOWN AND SAID "OH GEORGE I THINK I LOST MY STRINGER WE GOT TO GO BACK AND FIND IT". SO I TURNED HIS BOAT AROUND AS HE WAS SAYING YOU DIDN'T LOOSE IT DID YOU? I SAID, NAH!

I DIRECTED THE BOAT BACK TO SANDY COVE AND PICKED UP THE FISH, CHECK HER OUT. WE THEN USED THE OUR VHS RADIO TO LOCATE THE GUYS AND HAVE THEM JOIN US BACK IN PRINGLE. JOHN SAID HE WANTED TO LEARN THE UPPER ENTRANCE INTO THE LAKE ANYWAYS SO HE AND MIKE HEADED OUR WAY. WE MET THEM OUT IN FRONT OF THE CUT BACK INTO PRINGLE SO HE COULD FOLLOW ME IN AND OFF WE WENT.

PROCEEDING THROUGH THE “BOAT LANE” BACK INTO THE LAKE WE WERE GETTING CLOSE TO THE FINAL TURN WHEN JOHN’S BOAT LOST “PROPBITE” AND SPUN OUT ONTO THE SHORELINE! GEORGE AND I TURNED AROUND TO COME BACK AND ASSIST THEM BUT THEY GOT THE BOAT OFF THE ISLAND. THEY HAD TO BACK TRACK A LITTLE BACK INTO THE BOAT LANE TO JUMP UP AND GIVE IT ANOTHER TRY. THIS TIME THEY MADE THE TURN IN GOOD SHAPE BUT DID NOT STAY EXACTLY BEHIND ME AS I WENT THROUGH AND THEY THEN SHOALED-UP ON A SHALLOW FLAT. THERE WAS ENOUGH WATER TO FLOAT THE BOAT AND HE HAD TO IDLE OUT UNTIL HE GOT INTO DEEPER WATER. AFTER A FEW ATTEMPTS TO JUMP THE BOAT OFF THE FLAT JOHN FINALLY GOT HER UP AND RUNNING IN GOOD ORDER. WE ALL FISHED FOR ANOTHER HOUR OR SO WITHOUT ANY RESULTS AND DECIDED TO HEAD BACK TOWARD POC. SO BACK OUT THE NORTH CUT AND INTO THE BAY WE WENT. WE STOPPED AT ONE OF MY FAV’S TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY FISH AVAILABLE. WHICH THERE WERE. DURING MY SHORT WADE I PICKED UP TWO MORE NICE HEALTHY TROUT AND HAD A RED TAILING NOT MORE THAN THIRTY FEET FROM ME BUT I JUST COULD GET IT TO BITE. HE DID CHARGE MY FLY ONCE BUT NO TAKE! ANYWAYS WE ALL HAD A BLAST AND IT WAS TIME TO GO BACK AND FIND SOME ADULT BEVERAGES AND A COOL PLACE TO KICK BACK.

ONCE BACK AT THE RV WE CONTACTED NICK S. AND ALEX B. AND ARRANGE FOR THEM TO COME DOWN AND JOIN US LATER THAT NIGHT WHICH THEY DID. THEY GOT IN AROUND NINE PM.

SUNDAY

ANOTHER GOOD START TO A FUN DAY. WIND WAS STILL DOING IT’S THING BUT A GOOD SPEEDY STOP TACO AND HOT COFFEE AND WE WERE READY TO HIT THE WATER. THE BOAT RAMP WAS VIRTUALLY EMPTY COMPARED TO THE DAY PREVIOUS. WE DECIDED TO CROSS THE BAY AGAIN TO GET TO PROTECTED WATER. WE STOPPED IN BIG POCKET TO DRIFT FOR REDFISH AND TO WAIT OUT THE CLOUDS SO WE COULD LATER DO SOME SITE FISHING. GEORGES BOAT MOTOR ALARM WENT OFF AS WE NEARED THE SHORELINE. AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF SEARCHING FOR THE PROBLEM WE FIGURED SOME TRASH WAS IN TO “PISSER” LINE AS WE WERE NOT “PISSING”. OK BACK ON THE RADIO AND WE CALLED OUT FOR JOHN PURCELL TO HELP US OUT. HIS BOAT IS A VIRTUAL HARDWARE STORE WHEN IT COME TO BEING PREPARED! WITHIN A FEW MINUTES HE AND MIKE Q. PULLED ALONG SIDE AND ANOTHER TEN MINUTES LATER THE YAMMY IS PISSING LIKE A COW ON A FLAT ROCK. GOOD STUFF. RADIOS AND TOOLS ARE A GOOD THING WHEN OUT ON THE WATER!

WELL NOT TO DRAG ON BUT WE HAD A FANTASTIC DAY. THE SUN CAM OUT AND THE WIND GOT A LOT MORE MANAGEABLE AND FISH WERE BROUGHT TO HAND. NICK SCORED A 24.5” RED, ALEX CAUGHT FIVE REDS, AND I CAUGHT ONE TOO. WE FOUND A FLAT THE WAS SO LIT UP AND BEAUTIFUL IT WAS JUST A JOY TO WADE. WHAT A GREAT DAY. WE GOT OFF THE WATER AROUND 2:00 PM GIVING US PLENTY OF TIME TO CLEAN THE BOATS AND RV’S BEFORE RETURNING TO H-TOWN.

I WANT TO THANK GEORGE S. FOR BEING SUCH A GREAT BOAT PARTNER AND FRIEND. ALSO THE REST OF THE GUYS FOR BEING SUCH GREAT FRIENDS AND FISHING PARTNERS. OH OF COURSE SPECIAL THANKS TO THE WIVES FOR LETTING THEIR HUBBIES GO PLAY WITH THE FISHYS! HOPEFULLY NEXT TIME WE’LL SEE YOU DOWN HERE WITH US. OH AND BY THE WAY WE SAW ALAN K.’S GROUP SATURDAY NIGHT AT CATHY’S AND THEY CAUGHT TEN REDS ON SATURDAY BETWEEN THREE BOATS. THEY FISHED IN THE SOUTH PASS AREA BACK LAKES. GOOD JOB!NICE FISH!

BETTER VIEW

JOHN'S BOAT JUST AFTER THEY PUSHED OFF SHORE. WE WERE LATE TAKING PICTURE!